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Friday, April 22, 2011

Hey! Has it been a long week for you like it's been for me? I know all I really want to do is shut everything else out and curl up in my happy place to be entertained without distraction. To cleanse my soul of the woes of the week and bask in the bright light of something wonderful. Well if you're looking for that escape, Lab tech Andi may have found a few ways to escape even if you only get a minute or two. So head on over to the blue door at the back of the shack, knock the beautiful melody of Tchaikovsky's "Swan Lake No. 9" and the password is "Dancer". Be Safe!

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

It was strangely chilly, so instead of reading at my desk, I’d pulled out the huge mound of pillows and nestled myself in the fluffy mess with my netbook propped up on a chill mat in my lap. Paying very little attention to anything else, I didn’t even notice when the daylight began to fade, slowly being replaced by the darkness of the night.

Hypnotized by the latest tale to grace my screen, I was startled by the music and small animated video that hijacked my screen. The video had several tiny ballet dancers leaping gracefully across the screen and played the music from Swan Lake. As the music came to a close, the letters for an animated invitation flashed before my eyes. It was an invitation to attend a dance recital for Renesmee, in her own performance of Swan Lake that very evening.

I looked at the clock on my cell phone. “Oh my, I’ll never make it there in time!”

“Yes you will” sang Alice’s bell-like voice, as she danced through the door, flinging a garment bag at me. “But you still need to hurry.” She informed. So, I flew into the bathroom to change and we were in the yellow Porche in barely a blink.

“Well, this was very sudden. I didn’t know Renesmee was studying ballet.” I said as Alice drove.

“Actually, it’s not. Nessie has been dancing around since she could walk and you know Rose and I are always trying to create a lifetime of pictures and videos to make her cover more realistic.” She explained. “Then Edward started playing some Tchaikovsky for her and when she realized it was called Swan Lake AND it was a ballet, she began suckering Emmett and Jacob into watching every filmed rendition, even some obscure Russian version on YouTube.” Alice giggled and elaborated further. “So, Rose and I thought this would be the perfect opportunity to create an illusion of dance classes.”

“Well, there’s more than one dancer in Swan Lake, who’s dancing with her?” I questioned, knowing that Alice and Rose would probably be involved. “And is she good.”

“She’s perfect!” Alice responded in near shock. “Of course, Rose and I will be dancing. We tried to talk Bella into it, but even with her new grace, she flatly refused. I think she still harbors some fear of ballet because of James.” Alice rolled her eyes. “But I’m not revealing anything else, you’ll just have to wait and see.”

It was only a few more short minutes in the car and then I was being taken to my seat behind Esme. Once I was seated, she leaned back and whispered, “They wouldn’t let me watch them practice today. So this will be a surprise for me too. I don’t know why, but I’m so nervous for them.”

“Oh, Esme! It’s perfectly natural to be nervous, I’m sure they’ll be perfect.” I responded with a smile. Then I began to look around myself and noticed a few authors, Sam and Emily, Leah, Seth, and Sue were all sitting beside Charlie, even tiny Claire was there sitting very patiently in Quil’s lap. It was still nearly surreal to know that the pack would do anything to make Renesmee happy. The lights dimmed and the curtains parted, taking that as a sign, I sat back in my seat to watch the show.

Nessie danced around the stage, in perfect form and motion. Alice was right, it was perfect. Then the evil sorcerer appeared to turn the dancing girl into a swan and who better to play that part than Emmett. He was dressed all in black with black ballet tights. I giggled at the sudden sight. Thankfully for my sanity, the black didn’t accentuate what the tights had the ability to reveal.

The performance continued and when it was time for the Prince to make his appearance, out leapt Jacob, donning his own ballet tights that hid almost nothing. He was not in the least graceful, but you could tell he was trying and you have to appreciate the effort he was making. He stumbled a few times, making it so very difficult not to laugh, but I held it in and continued to watch.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

As I watched, I started to wonder if Bella really would have been that graceful, if Alice and Rose had managed to talk her into it. So when I got back to the lab, I stared the research to find out.

My first performance came from “If You were Mine” by ThexInvisiblexGirl. Bella Swan has just been accepted to Julliard and she can hardly believe her good fortune. She’s been dancing for as long as she can remember and this is her dream come true. Then by some bizarre coincidence, a boy from where her father lives not only plays for her audition, but shares a class with her. The only issue is that she has a boyfriend. What will happen? You’ll have to read it to find out.

My next performance is not of the usual variety “I Will Follow You Into The Dark" by SydneyAlice. Dr. Edward Cullen falls hard for Bella Swan, an exotic dancer in one of Seattle's nightclubs the very first time he sees her. What’s odd is that his brother Emmett seems to know her, and knew that she was supposed to be dancing on Broadway. However, Bella has secrets she’s not quite willing to share and once she’s exposed will he be able to look passed them? Trying to escape their haunted pasts, will they be able to find love for the first time?

The finale to my little deals is “Learn You Inside Out” by wolfpgirl. Bella is a college student and reluctant dancer/cheerleader, trying to move on. Edward is a rebel and thinks he’s all that since he’s the new quarterback, but there’s a reason why the whole world knows the reputation of Edward Cullen and it’s not because he bakes cookies for the homeless. An arrangement will bring these two unlikely people together, but trials of the present and the darkness of their past will threaten to tear them apart.

Sunday, April 17, 2011

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